


Like cat and dog

by DwarfOfManyJourneys



Series: League of AUs - Twisted Graves Edition [1]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Drama, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rivalry, cat!Fate, dog!Graves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-13 15:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4528275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DwarfOfManyJourneys/pseuds/DwarfOfManyJourneys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one-shots in the life of Graves the Dog and TF the cat. Based on their background story, a lot of grumpy old Graves and smug Fate and my poor attempt at being funny.<br/>Because every fandom needs AUs and fluff. Even LoL ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bark or bite?

He is _so_ gonna get this cat.

There were few things, that could really get a rise out of him, but this fleabag of a tomcat knew his buttons better than he himself. With a huff, Graves put his head back on his paws and glances out of the window. There he was...  
_Twisted Fate._  
Whoever named that stupid feline sure knew how to pick fitting names. Graves remembered him by another name, from the time in the animal shelter, though he rather not thought about it. As a shaggy-furred, mixed-bred with anger issues he never stood a chance against cute little puppies and when he did...well... let's just say, he was glad to return to the shelter. After that it was back to hoping, lingering and at last...a home. But that was a story for another day.  
Today was the day he would **eat** that smug bastard. That would teach him!  
With a grim face he observed as the focus of his hate balanced on the fence and turned _just so_ , to wink at him. The **nerve** of that guy! TF (as he was called by those endearingly stupid humans) never seemed to be bothered by anything, sauntering around as if he owned the world. (Since he was a cat, Graves suspected it to be an accurate description of that guy's worldview.) But Graves **knew**. He knew the abyss that lurked in that feline and one day he would show the world the true face of Twisted Fate...  
But first he had to get the guy. So he would wait. After all he was in the unfortunate situation of sharing a home with him. (And wasn't THAT a surprise, to be adopted only to find his nemesis lounging around?) And when that brown furball entered through the catflap... he would tear him to pieces! Maybe after getting him to confess his treason, but he would take, what he could.

...  
What took him so long? Graves paced along the windows and stared outside, making impatient noises and feeling entirely displeased. Where the hell was TF? He should have been home hours ago. Their owners were talking in hushed, worried voices and they even patted his head saying: "Don't worry. Your friend will come home." **Bullshit.** That was wrong on so many levels. He did not worry. Not in the slightest. And TF was no friend of him, ha, the thought alone! And if that bastard never came back, he would be delighted. DELIGHTED, you hear? So what, if he stood guard till the night slowly came to an end? Someone had to.

When Twisted Fate finally sneaked into the house, he was greeted by the sight of that mutt Graves, snoring loudly in front of the back door and being his usual annoying self. Fate snickered and ventured on, to find some food and his favourite bed: an old leather hat, worn and cluttered with playing cards. (What? They were just **so** interesting! ) With languid steps he was about to leave, when the dog behind him whining in his sleep. With a glint in his eyes, TF strode out of the door and into the corridor.

When the family came into the room a few hours later, still rubbing sleep from their eyes, they were greeted by an unusual sight: Graves snoring softly on the floor, with that old hat from the attic on his back and inside the curled form of the trickster cat Twisted Fate. Warm smiles were exchanged and their daughter snapped a ton of photos with the comment "The internet will **LOVE** this!"  
Sadly, the peaceful morning was abruptly ended, when their son slammed against the door and Graves woke, seething when he spotted the cat on his back and the breakfast ended with their dog chasing the cat (which carried that hat around. For whatever reasons.) and cards scattered across the floor.  
Well... at least their house was always full of live.  
(And Graves swore, he would **get** that sneaky bastard! _Just wait for it!_ )


	2. Caged and chained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: THANK YOU! Now I'm absolutly motivated to post more^^ I just... well :D No fluff this time, but drama. The treason had to be in here ;)

This was all that old mutt's fault.

Really now: It wasn't HIS fault, that they were caught and brought to this... animal shelter thingy. The brown cat Tobias yawned and (with all disinterest he could muster) opened the hatch to his cage.  
As if **that** could stop him. Ha! These humans were far too dumb to hold him, but with his _stupid fleabag partner_ chained in the backyard, he had no choice but to act. And acting he did, _oooh, he was good at those things._  
But now it was time to check up on his friend, lest he chews off his leg or something. And with no little satisfaction he entered the yard to find that dog contemplating his appendix with a grim set in his stupid ugly face.  
"And pray tell, how will we run away, when you can not even WALK?" the cat sneered and set back on his haunches. Graves looked up with little to no guilt and shrugged. "'m a bit stronger than you, shrimp. I could hold my own." The feline hissed. "Shrimps are food, dumbass. Be more creative at least." Graves was thoroughly unimpressed. "So, what's the plan?"

The plan was to stay FREAKIN' **under the radar**. And what did that brain-dead good-for-nothing fleabag do? Bark up a storm at that _slimy mister_ , who found his "fighting spirit" apparently amusing and ticked him off even more.  
"For the sake of whipped cream, Graves! Calm down!" He nearly nearly yowled, agitated to no end, eyes flickering nervously between his companion and that... _human over there_. He had escaped his cage once again and was now facing almost certain doom, because that stupid dog _can't listen to shit_. Tobias played his ace just then, rubbing his head against Graves jaw, purring softly and ever so low whispered: "Keep calm, hotshot, or do you want to end as a lapdog to this slimeball?" Graves growled, but took a less aggressive stance. "As long as you're with me, partner, he can't do shit."  
The man contemplated for a moment, then grabbed Tobias in a swift motion at his scruff and flung him through the back door. From what he could pick up, Tobias mused, that Graves was about to tear that guy a new one. Only when slimeball reentered with a smug grin, he felt the dread sink in. The final straw was _the adoption paper_ , that the man filled in with that creepy slime-smile still in place. "Not on my watch, mister." Tobias growled and launched himself at the man's kneecaps. "Get.IT.OFF.ME!!" slimy-assball screamed high pitched, flaunting the leg and causing a ruckus, that caught almost every animals' interest. Well, except Draven's, but that bird was so vain, he rarely looked past his mirror.  
One of the rats (Jinx, his brain contributed) crackled hysterically, while the big german shepherd Garen shouted almost louder than the fighting duo "For Justice. For Demacia!" Whatever the hell that was. "You.don't.take.my.friend.away!" Tobias hissed with vigor, his pupils slits and his fur raised to the max, nearly deaf to the warning shout coming from the hamster cage (for the life of him: He could not tell them apart. Could have been Trist, could have been Corki.), but sadly not resistant to the syringe, that made him sleepy...so sleepy...but...he had to...had to...  
Asthe now limp body of the cat was placed in the cage again, Priggs grinned to himself and accepted the apologies of the merchant with grace. He found what he came for.

When Tobias came to, everything was cloudy and _soooo nice_. Even that thin foureyes in front of his cage, _soooo nice._ "Mister... oh, Doctor Rath, was it?" What was that voice? Sounded like the harpy of a shop owner, but...like...nice? (Something told him, he wasn't always that eloquent.) The back door was opened and a man pushed a cage through the shop, nearing the frontdoor. Inside was his friend Graves. His **very best friend**. He waved a paw at him. "Heyyyyy, buddy~ You leavin'? Too bad..." Even his voice was niceee, like _sugar on cream or sunshine_. But why did Graves look furious? What was he yelling? Tobias could not understand and now the nice slimeguy left the shop with Graves, so Tobias waved again. "Niceee talking, pal. See you around!"  
The guy in front of him chuckled and poked a finger at him. Tobias nearly cross-eyed and sluggishly pawed at him. "Right. I take that one."

Hours later, when the feline finally felt like himself again, the memories rushed back to him. What did he **do**? He got them separated! A hand on his back brought him back to reality. "Object 21 is finally awake. Let's begin test run #1" **Object.** Not Tobias. He had a sinking feeling, he would not be Tobias for a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll tonight! :D So here is another chapter, this time: How they met.

That rat looked delicious.

Truth was, it looked almost worse than he did, but after days of hunger, Graves wasn't picky. Thanks to the rain and an early autumn, the stray dog was cold, wet and miserable and currently staring at his first meal in ages. A sudden motion in the corner made him lose focus for a split second, but the rat used it to dash away, knocking over some empty cans and scampering into the dark. "Shit." Graves growled, already giving up on his prey, but angry enough to face the culprit and teach him, why _no one messes with him._

But before he could so much as turn around, a streak of brown followed the rat and left nothing but a whiff of... **wet cat.** Dammit. Some stupid feline not only scared away his prey, but probably took it herself. Well, with any luck, that furball would come back and then he would eat her. _Just you wait!_ And so, Graves took guard and tried himself in patience.

Okay, that took way too long. Where was that cat? Just when he stood up to find a place for the night, he smelled that stupid thing again. And truly, after a few more moments, he heard a dragging sound, as if the cat took its prey back out. Oh, what a lucky day. Graves could get to eat **double** tonight.

Well, make that a bite or two. That cat (tomcat, if his experience was accurate) was not bigger than the rat, skinny as hell and the fur looked like he lost more than one fight. Still, as he spotted Graves and dropped his prey to defend it, Graves was mildly (though grudgingly) impressed. "Oi Shrimp, sure you can eat something your own size? Isn't that like...cannibalism or somethin'?" The cat froze, seizing him and his look told Graves, just how stupid he probably was. (Graves got that a lot. Never stopped him.) "Cannibalism is eating your own kind. Not size. Imbecile." The cat sniffed. "Oi oi, you ain't that smart yourself. I put up more of a fight than that one." He pointed to the dead body under the cat's paws. He could smell the fear of the little one, as well as more anger than should be allowed in that tiny thing.

Of **course** , now it had to rain harder, with a growling thunder promising a storm and a restless night. Graves nearly huffed in frustration, a move the cat did notice. Graves had enough of this bullshit. "Ye ain't get away with it. Might as well give up." He rose to his full height and played his muscles, while the feline tried to stay unimpressed. "Say, big guy, how about we share?" ...not what he expected. He tilted his head in confusion, what was wrong with the guy? That half starved kitten wanted him to share -he had guts, alright- when none of them could really afford it? The cat (and why did it bother him to still call him that?) sighed silently and walked up to him. "You know, I am _pretty good_ at scouting out prey, a lot more patient than you (no offense), but as you can see, my prey seldom stays in my possession. With you as back-up, we both might get a fair share. You in?" Graves was not quite sure if he heard right, but it did make sense in a way. "The name's Graves. Malcolm Graves. And I could use a sneaky partner, if I can put a name to him." The feline looked like he just found a pot of cream. "Tobias. And I might know a place to stay."

Later that night the remains of two rats and a bird littered the ground of an old haven storehouse, the wind but a whisper and the rain only heard on the roof, as a dog snored loudly on the ground on some rags, a cat snugly curled into a ball on his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I once uploaded a >20k fanfic about how Fate could redeem himself, but in my native language. Anyone interested in reading a translation? I may change a thing or two, since the lore changed since then, but in a way I wasn't so far from the truth :D Though TwistedGraves is still not canon :P


	4. A Twist of Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I am so sorry. I read the comment about what happens after chapter 2 and I was like "Yeah, I can do that." The results are heavy stuff.  
>  WARNING: Animal abuse and experiments on animals (I do hate myself for writing it...)  
> But then again, LoL is not for the weak of heart. Decide for yourself.

His skin was on fire.

Not literally, but it certainly felt that way. Not that Tobias had the energy to muse, his voice merely a croaking sound in the back of his throat after hours and hours of screaming in pain. At first he struggled at every given opportunity, but after some time the fight left him completely.

Most of the time, he could not even remember his name or the reason, why he was here. It felt like forever, though a part of him caught glimpses of memories, some with rain and hunger, but some with a warm presence and raw power beside him. The thought seemed important somehow, but he could never grasp it for long enough. That human never gave him much time to breathe, even now, when his skin was crawling and burning _burning_ **burning** , unforgiving hands lifted him up, pulled his fur (what was left of it) and then his eyes were pried open to apply some sort of lotion, that took his sight and brought a new wave of agony. Distantly he could hear the neutral voice of that monster taking notes on his "progress", before the world faded into blessed darkness.

"Oi. You there! Yes, YOU, damn cat!" Tobias blinked thoughtless through the cage before he registered the voice and heaved his heavy head towards the speaker. A rat of some sort, bigger, ugly as all, with toxic fumes still clinging to its' body and a mad glint in its' eyes. "Wanna break out? I wanna break out. You in, buddy?" Tobias mumbled something along the lines of "Not your buddy, pal." But he did not move. Breaking out. Somehow he knew how to do that, but he had no reason to. Where should he go? There was no place for something like him. "Saw you once, ya know? Back in the days, with **that dog-friend** of ya. Yer a freakin' genius, never seen someone that sneaky. 'sides me, I guess. So, you in?" The rat twitched almost constantly, eyes darting back and forth. Tobias still tried to proceed the information. He had a friend. _Why did he not come here?_ Who was that dog? Where was he? He struggled to stay awake, wanting answers, wanting...something, but his battered body ignored him and he fell unconscious again.

He woke to cold hands. "Update on Object #21: No signs of acid lacerations on iris nor hints of substance XVI in its' blood samples. Proceeding with substance XVII." The feline no longer felt the syringe, too used to pain by now. He could feel the eyes of Twitch as well as a few others (the hamster Ziggs had never stopped chatting, after some high dosed adrenaline and was some sort of live commentary nowadays.) as his fur started to rise and his joint locked, leaving him trapped in his body, unable to move. "Interesting. Object #21 goes into paralyzation immediately. Adding substance ACE now." The needle teared though seized up muscles, but something... _something was different_. A rush of energy filled him completely, bursting through all the fog and pain in his mind, leaving nothing but crystal clear clarity behind. What a cruel fate to bear, because now everything came rushing back, all the guilt, fear, regret, the happy memories and Graves _Graves_ **GRAVES!** Who hated him now, who would call him traitor, who might not be _alive_ anymore, because Tobias had been too weak. The click of a pen brought him back to reality. "Object #21 reacts with disorientation and apathy. Starting tomorrow, I will try more...drastic measures." The white coat of Dr. Xavier Rath was the last thing the animals could see, before he left the room, casting everything in darkness.

"OI. Cat. Thiefcat. Cat-Thief? Na, well... you thingy there!" Twitch again. Tobias glanced in his direction, not bothering to verbally acknowledge him. "Thought about it? Well?" If there was the slightest chance of finding Graves, he should take it. And there was the fact that, starting the next day, his survival was more at stake than ever. "Why the hell not. Got nothin' better to do, anyway." With the practice of a lifetime, he opened the hatch and slowly made his way to the rats' cage. "Me too, me too! Come on guys!" the excited chatter of Ziggs resonated through the room. Twitch climbed out of his cage, his spine weirdly arched, so he had to stand on his hindlegs and shrugged. "Might as well." Tobias nodded. "Ain't no one gets left behind." And so, they went to work.  
Getting out was easier than anticipated. The pipes were too small for most of them, but they found a dusted old window and apparently the disfigured insectoid "Cog'Maw" was kind of acid himself now and burned away the lock. After that, it was child's play. Their rag tag team of abused cats, birds, rodents and others staggered into the darkness of a free world, some trailing behind and vanishing, some following Tobias, who set one paw after the other, struggling into the direction his head screamed at him, till he found the telltale sign of a petshop, he had not dared to hope to see again.

The next morning, when Mrs. Legends opened the shop door, she found a pile of stinking, hurt animals, all alive but exhausted. With a heartfelt sigh, she rolled up her sleeves. Time to work.

Tobias would never feel safe in a cage. Even less now, after all the pain and again facing the shop counter, where once a larger cage was transported, holding his one true friend. "That cat is pretty, mum. Can I touch it?" A voice too close for comfort asked. A girl, maybe in her teens (humans all looked the same), poked at his cage, gauging his reaction. "Hey there, handsome one. Got a name?" Tobias nearly answered to that, too desperate for some conversation. (Only one talking non-stop was Draven the Bird again, but he got company now. A dull looking bird named Darius. Looked more like a vulture or bird of prey, but he got enough brains to keep that to himself.)

Curious, but careful fingers glided through his fur, minding the bald spots and softly rubbing behind his ears. Well... he **could** get used to that... "He purrs! Aww, what a cutie. Please mum?" A woman appeared besides her child, scrounching up her eyebrows. "What happened to that poor thing? Looks like it could really need some love." A second child's face appeared at his cage. "He looks badass. Like a pirate or somethin'!" The mother contemplated, but her children already seemed set on Tobias, who blinked confused. Why him? Nidalee on the end of the aisle was in far better shape. Or that sleek Russian Blue called Evelynn. He was ... not good enough. He would make as bad a pet as he had been a friend. "You deserve all the love in this world, brave little one." a warm voice reached him and when he looked up, equally warm eyes met his. The mother had stayed at his cage, as her offsprings dashed from aisle to aisle, shouting for their dad to look at "that pretty, badass pirate cat!", causing a ruckus near the terrarium, where the snake Cassiopeia slept and that frog Tahm Kench belched after his meal. The father (slightly messy hair, glasses and a overwhelmed look on his face) was nearly pushed against his cage, two enthusiastic children in his back, chanting "pirate cat" over and over. He chuckled lightly and stage whispered "You poor cat, there goes your peace." Which resulted in offended declarations. And a filled out adoption paper. "Oi, mate. Leavin' again, aren't ya?" a certain rat yelled from his place under the staircase. "Yeah, listen, buddy: If you ever catch sight of my dog-friend..." he started. "-Ya the first to know. Leave it to me, worrywart!" The doorbell chimes as the familiy left the store and Tobias once again felt the outdoor breeze.

"How should we name him?" the father's voice sounded from the front. "How about Mr. Mittens?" the girl asked, already getting shot down by mother and brother. "BORING. He looks more like a Catinator or Dr. Darkness." The parents laughed at that. "Dear, you can't name a cat after your favourite villain. That would be too cruel a twist of fate." The boy perked up at that. "Twisted Fate sounds good." The car got silent as all family members considered. "Well... TF sounds kind of nice... a bit mysterious too..." the mother mused. "DECIDED!" roared the boy, causing his father to jump in his seat. "Twisted Fate it is." He pressed his face to the transport box. "You okay with that?" Tobias blinked twice. Now that was new. But maybe "Tobias" had to leave, shrug off the pain and past to move on. Maybe "Twisted Fate" could be the cat "Tobias" never was.

And so it came to be, that Tobias the stray cat left the pet shop, only for Twisted Fate to enter a new home. But on some nights, Twisted Fate would vanish into the darkness, only for Tobias to look for _a certain dog_ he never had wished to leave behind. And if he sometimes suspected the experiments to have worked in a way or two... _that was his worry alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one is pure fluff. I promise!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. I needed fluff so bad after writing the last chapter. And since there is no order to the chapters... hurray for fluff! :D

Sometimes, life was not too bad.

Especially when it was a lazy sunny day and you could lounge around at the riverbank with your best friend. At least, that's what Graves thought. After some tiring days of nearly getting caught by some humans and a little fight with the pack leader of some street dogs, they could really use a time-out. He was sprawled out on the grass next to the river, snout on his front paws and his companion always in sight.   
Yeah, life was good like that.

Their agreement was _the best deal he ever made_ , though he would never admit it. Tobias was good at finding targets, made quick decisions and had good judgement, just how much Graves could handle. In a way it was scary to be understood to that level, but Tobias made no big deal out of it. A feat he did not think the cat capable of, since Tobias himself was... extravagant, arrogant and _smug to no end_. Graves always called him out on that one, but Tobias laughed it off and sauntered on, like the **smug bastard** he was.

Said cat currently looked at the river as if it had offended him and all his ancestors, positioned near the water, but still on dry sand, his tail swishing back and forth. Slowly he touched the surfaced with a paw, before jumping back and shaking his body. Graves laughed at that. "What? Afraid of a little water?" Tobias looked a bit miffed, but still walked up to him. "Na, but I'd rather stay dry for a nap." The feline plopped down next to him and stretched his body, before settling down. Well, Graves could call him out on his bullshit, but there was no need for it and he could store that information away for another time. Right now, life was **good** and he intended to savour the moment. The warmth radiating from his smaller partner felt right against his side and he closed the eyes for a moment or two. Tobias was the lighter sleeper anyway.

"Graves! Wake up, you old mutt. **Look** at it!" Graves woke with a grumble. Whenever Tobias got like that it was easier to comply than to fight, that cat always got what he wanted anyway. "'s it this time, shrimp?" Big round eyes looked up to him and then back to the lone man walking along the river. "That's some dude, not an 'It'. Thought **you** were the smart one." Tobias nearly jumped in his face from excitement. "No, dumbass, look at _that._ **HAT!** " Graves was pretty sure that Tobias was sparkling right now. "I wanna have a hat like thaaaaat~" The man and his leather hat vanished behind some corner and now that kitten eyes were focused on him. More sparkles. Graves was doomed. "Let's look for a hat like that, yes? Please partner?" Graves wanted to vanish in thin air. Because Tobias normally was the smart, calculating one, he often forgot the fact, that the feline was still behaving like a kitten with too much energy at times. Sadly, Graves now had to deal with it or he would never stop to talk about " _THE hat_ ".

"What ye want it for, anyway? Ye can't wear it, for cryin' out loud. That gonna be your bed or what?" Tobias paused for a moment. (And no, Graves did **NOT** feel bad, as the sparkles left and the cat sobered up.) There was a short silence and then: "Naa, you're more comfortable anyway." With the nonchalance only a cat possessed, Tobias climbed on Graves back and sprawled himself all over the big dog. "Ye are blocking the sun, buddy." He felt the purring on his back like a soft massage, tension leaving his aching muscles.   
Yeah, **life was good.**

"Still want a hat, though." _God damn cat._


	6. Chapter 6

The searing pain in his shoulder was nothing against the hurt in his heart.

When Priggs got him out of the shelter, he did not know what to expect. He was the **dumb one**. Tobias was the one to... Tobias. That _traitorous little shit_. Acting all nice and friendly, only to laugh at his face and wave ( **wave!!** ) at him, as he was whisked away. That stab in the back nearly broke him, as he was thrown into the fighting pit for the first time. But through his hurt a fire burned, fueled by his anger and hate. He should have killed that cat, when he had the chance. He nearly shredded his opponent to pieces, pleasing his owner and earning him a schedule full of matches. Soon, scars littered his body, bones were reset after breaking and the fur on his ears covered more than one hole.

It was in one of those fight nights, that his past haunted him again. In the form of a familiar german shepherd. "Garen? 'hell you doin' here?" The other perked up at his name with a happy waving tail. "GRAVES! It's been ages! You come here to play, too?" Graves kind of wanted to facepalm. "This is no game, Garen. This earns _them_ money and _us_ some wounds." Garen looked genuinely confused. "Why do we fight then? We could go home. Oh! Draven introduced his brother Darius. That bird is SO rude, I don't like him. Nicked my nose once..." The audience started to murmur as none of the dogs even tried to fight. "Garen..." Graves tried to interrupt, but the german shepherd was not deterred. "...and then Rengar said, that he heard from Gnar, that Zilean heard about Tobias, that he is ke-" "GAREN! Don't you **ever** say that name again." Graves was fuming now, irritated and hurt by the mere mention of that traitor. Garen looked at him with a weird glint in his eyes and took a step forward, ignoring the rising protests of the gamblers. "Graves. Aren't you tired? How about we _go home_?" Somehow, that naive hyperactive whelp made place for something more mature, like a seasoned warrior. (Which he probably was, when he was pitted against him) Graves looked doubtfully at the approaching humans, with leashes and tasers in their hands. "And how do you plan to escape?" Garen perked up, all sunshine again. "Charging through! For the glory of DEMACIA!!" and true to his word he sprinted _right between the legs_ of some shady characters, knocking them over in the process. Graves flexed his shoulders. "Let's roll."

Beaten and battered, they managed to catch their breath a few blocks down the street. Two other hounds had joined them in the fight: a dark, sleek guy named Nasus, as well as a golden retriever female called Leona. The four of them did not talk too much on their way, but somehow they ended up in front of that old hags shop again. " _'Pets of Legends'_? Really now?" Nasus dry voice asked, while Leona already looked through the window. "Too many cats in there, if you ask me." Cats. Graves could feel his hackles rise, yet did not dare to look himself. " _He is not here._ " He froze, turning his head to Garen. "What do ye' mean? Got himself some cozy home, aye?" Garen seemed to hesitate. "It...did not appear so, I'm afraid. Was gone the same day as you." Graves relaxed. "Good. Hope he **dies** out there." The others looked at him in disgust. "That's not something to wish for." Leona chided, but Graves turned away from them. "Whatever."

Mrs. Legends really tried not to sigh, but when four dogs looked up to her, two of which she sold herself, she was very inclined to. That hyper german shepherd even bolted right into the shop to wake the uncooperating bird brothers (as she called them), which ended in feathers and fur falling to the ground. The other three waited warily at the door. "Come in. We will try to find you something to eat, a bath and hopefully a new owner."

"Yeah, well. I don't trust her _judgement_ , if ya catch my drift." a rat piped up. Graves ignored it. "Hey you, big guy! You look like I saw you before! Got a cat friend? Brown, smug as shit, a bit too small for that ego- EEEEP!" Graves managed to jump on the table to knock over the cage, showing full teeth to the shivering rodent. "You don't know **shit.** " he growled, before the shop owner noticed his outburst and eventually chained him back to his place in the backyard. Close to midnight the back door was opened slightly as the rat sneaked out and hopped over the wall. "See ya, buddy!" He growled muted into the lonely night. "Not your buddy, pal."

The next days were all the same: Eating, sleeping and eating again. Some humans came by, but he was still sensitive about them, growling and intimidating their young always got them to leave. Till the day the youngest proclaimed him "Awesome." no matter what he did. The family seemed friendly enough, warm eyes, gentle gestures, even if they smelled a bit like cat. "You look tired, hm?" The woman asked (and did she really think he would answer?), slowly reaching for him. He fought the urge to bite and shut his eyes, only to open them in surprise as the woman never touched, but let him _smell first_. He was a bit baffled by her manners, unsure what to do. She smiled sadly at him and soon her family left, not before the boy asked for him again and his parents told him to "Wait and see, maybe it will work."  
It took five visits from the woman for him to let her pet him.  
It took seven visits till he waited for her arrival.  
_At the ninth visit she took him with her._

Graves was a bit lost, his emotions tumbling and confusing, as his new 'family' took him 'home' in a car. The only cars he had seen from the inside were the black van of Priggs and a bunch of wracks on a dump, back in the days with - no, he would not spare a thought on that particular topic. Instead, he followed the steady gait of the father, as he opened the door and led him inside. A comfy home, he thought, with lots of love and laughter if the pictures were anything to go by. He liked it and in a way, that was terrifying: Malcolm Graves, the stray dog, the pit fighter, was content to know these days _gone for good_. A nagging voice in his head told him otherwise, pointing out his love for risks and adventures, but right now he could ignore that. He was too old for this crap anyway. There was only one problem: The smell of a cat. He could even see a few spots, that clearly were residence for a (brown? black?) cat at some point and a cat flap at the door in the back, leading into the small but flowery garden. "Welcome home, big guy. 'Graves' they called you, right?" The warm woman was back and kneeling beside him, whispering conspiratorially to him. "Still happy with that name? My son would love to pick a new one, if you want." She grinned innocently, no malice in voice or posture, so Graves tried to grin back and waved with his tail. He liked his name, he was not going to change _that much_ after all.

"Who would have thought the mighty Malcolm Graves capable of **befriending** a human?" an amused voice stated somewhere above them. He swirled around and met the eyes of Tobias, who crouched on the counter near the kitchen sink. "Fate!" The woman scolded and went to pick him up, as Graves felt anger in every fiber of his body and growled. "Graves, that is Twisted Fate, our resident cat. I'd like you to get along with each other-" "Fate my ass! **I kill you** , bastard!" he charged, not thinking and only stopped when his warm, caring woman shrunk in fear, shielding the feline with her body. He shuddered with surpressed rage as he backed away and the woman looked up with tears in her eyes, before rushing out the room, shutting the door behind her. Then he heard her bursting into tears and he felt like the **biggest fool in history.**  
"I- I just thought he... he was so alone and TF seemed alone and- and you always said a dog would be nice... a-and-" "Hush, darling, I know. We tried, maybe...they need time to adjust?" Graves heard them through the wooden door and felt awful for causing them pain. It was Tobias' fault anyway. A shadow under the door indicated the arrival of said cat, even if he did not hear him. "Not really how I imagined our reunion, but then again, you never were the guy for plans." The idiot wanted to negotiate? Graves bumped his head against the door frame. "You're lucky she protects you. One day I will get my revenge." He heard Tobias- no, Twisted Fate shuffle around and settling down in front of the door, inconsiderate bastard he was. "May that day be far away. I like this family and apparently, so do you. So, no open hostility in their presence, _deal_?" Graves still heard the soft sniffling and crying in the background and felt his tail and ears hanging low. "Ya always gonna talk that big? 'Cause I will make ya pay for ya words back then." A pause. "I know." The voice was quit and ...sad? Graves shook his head and butted with his head against the door, grinning as he heard TF jump away. "Got ya'self a deal. Better watch ya six from now on."

It took some time, till all tears were dried and a bit longer till they filed away the adoption papers, but Twisted Fate sat insistently in front of the kitchen door and meowed and scratched, till they allowed themselves tiny smiles and the father rose to open the door again, still a bit weary.  
"I hope you know, what you get yourself into, buddy." He said, as TF purred and cuddled in his arms.  
_Then he opened the door._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did Graves not recognise TFs scent? Because in my head-canon, TF was altered in some ways, one of them being his scent (chemicals and all. I blame science! :D)  
> Also, I am a bit fond of Garen in this o.O adorable, dumb little Garen :D  
> I never asked before: Which champion do you feel most comfortable on?  
> (Mine would be ADCs like Sivir, Graves or Corki^^)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about using the Bilgewater event, but then I though 'Nah, maybe later, in a different way'  
> Hurt/Comfort all the way :D

_"Excuse me, mister? I think, I ran over your cat."_ Silence, then hectic shouting.

Graves had no direct view on the street, but he would not move anyway, since two teary eyes children hugged the dear life out of him. TF was ran over? Impossible. The guy had eyes on his _back_ , he **always** knew exactly where everyone was. How could he possibly be run over? His favorite human entered the room to hastily go through documents regarding their pets, hands shaking and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Take care of them, Graves. We have to hurry now. Guard the house!" she petted his head, kissed her children and left the frontdoor open in her haste.

The daughter sniffled as she got up to shut the door, but froze on the spot as she gazed into the street. Graves dragged the unwilling brother with him to look for himself, but his eyesight was lacking colours and so his best clue was the smell of blood. **Fate's blood**. They stood there for a good long while, before retreating into the living room, where they bundled up on the couch (Graves was not allowed to, but this was an emergency) and kept completely silent.  


It was long after nightfall, that the telltale sound of a key reached them and all the froze as the father came in with a white bundle in his hands. "I-is he...?" the pale daughter asked, hands still buried in Graves' fur as her brother chanted "Pirate cat." under his breath like a spell. (Whatever _that_ meant. Graves never found out, but apparently it was some kind of insider joke.) The parents looked exhausted, but the tears were dried now and the father sat down between them, minding Graves' legs and pushed aside the cover of the cloth bundle.

Twisted Fate looked awful. They had to shave parts of his fur to make stitches and two legs were in a cast, as well as his rib cage. "It was a close one, but you know your pirate cat. He will pull through." Everyone could breathe easier after that statement. Even Graves. After all the exitement, the humans grew tired fast and retired, till only the mother stayed behind. She held the cat bundle like a newborn and talked softly to him, though Graves tried hard not to eavesdrop.  


"Brave little one. Back then you looked the same, remember? So hurt, so in pain, but fighting nonetheless." She gently kissed his head, as he slowly opened a bleary eye. "You are not alone. We will look after you. But now, sleep for a while." She slowly rose and put the injured cat on the couch again. "Graves?" He yipped at the sound of his name and trotted over to them. "Protect him. He's still weak and the medication will keep him drowsy. Please. _Be a friend._ " To say he was conflicted did not even scratch the surface, but he settled nonetheless and watched her retire as well.

_Be a friend._ He tried once and all he got was laughter and treason. "Maaaaaaal~!" Oh, by the Void, the cat was drunk. "Maaaaaal~ 'm soooowwy!" TF drawled, an unbandaged paw sneaking out and oh-so-gently touched his maw. "sss like then, rrrright? Jus' I'm..." he yawned and went cross eyed. "Druuugged 'n' hurd ad de saaaame dime." He giggled. "Ya loook funny, Maaaaal." Graves could not resist rolling his eyes, which prompted Fate to do the same and fail spectacularly, but some words (after translating them) stuck to him. "You were drugged?" A brown paw tried to nudge his nose. "Hiiiigh as a kiteee~" TF wrestled around to get closer to his face, but the cloth constricted his movements and he gave up. "Maaaaal? I was a nasty kitty~ I attacked a **hooman!** " Graves was torn between leaving (as the cat was clearly off his game and _ridiculously cuddly_ ) and hearing the rest of the story. His curiosity won.

"And why do they call you pirate cat?" Fate tried to laugh, but it sounded wheezing and painful, still he babbled on. "The MAN, Graves! He did...thingies to us. Bad thingies. An' we were _sneaky sneaky_ and back at the shop, but pssst! Don' tell Graves, he's soooo **angry** at me." The feline was not out of his game, he was so out Graves could do nothing but dryly reply: "I won't tell him." Drugs and a bad man? Slowly the whole past made a lot more sense. A slow, gentle paw brought him back from his dark musings. "Maaaaal~? I love ya, maaaaaan. Even if ya don' love meeee~" This was getting ridiculous. "Just up and get to sleep." He grumbled.  
"Maaaaaaal~"

The road to recovery was a long and slow one. But the family stood united and everyone tried to help their injured member. While the parents kept taking him for check ups, the daughter one day proclaimed her wish to become a vet and started to apply the ointments and change the bandages. The young boy would play on his PSP next to the cat and carefully carry him around the garden, because "A pirate needs fresh air." And that was that.  
It took Graves a few days to mull over TFs confession, but before long he plopped down next to him and could not be separated from the feline. He may not have an answer yet, but staying away from the cat seem to result in desaster and the family loved the _thrice damned_ animal. So he would stay close and maybe he would find answers for his heavily confused emotions.

"What got ya to change ye mind, Graves?" Fate nonchalantly inquired one day, as he was pressed against Graves' side and tried to wash his fur. The dog made a non-committing sound and curled around the smaller mammal. "Suit yourself." Fate shrugged.  
"I ain't call you TF no more." Twisted Fate blinked confused. "Ya still some **airhead** of a kitten, Tobias." The cat huffed, pointedly _not_ looking at the card-filled leather hat, that _somehow_ found its way to the pets. "Am not, hotshot. So stick to the TF." A bark of laughter followed. "Whatever ya say... TOBIAS."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tobias is one ridiculously cute cat.  
> Not even Graves is immune to that :D

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know, if the LoL Community is interested in fanfictions like that...  
> So if you are, I would love some feedback :)  
> Till next time, summoners^^


End file.
